According to the indictment, on June 25, 2014, law enforcement authorities were alerted to a robbery at the Sabine State Bank & Trust Company on Highway 63 in Burkeville, Texas. During the robbery, a bank employee was stabbed multiple times sustaining serious injuries. Video surveillance revealed a man wearing a black hooded top confronting the bank employee with a knife and a handgun. The bank employee struggled with the assailant and was stabbed approximately five times resulting in a punctured lung. The assailant fled the scene without taking any money from the bank. Law enforcement officers reviewed security surveillance from nearby businesses and were able to identify Collins as a person of interest. Further investigation revealed the alleged involvement of Byerly, Clark and Adams.

A federal grand jury returned a four-count indictment charging Collins, Byerly and Clark with bank robbery, conspiracy to commit armed bank robbery, possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, and accessory after the fact. Adams was also charged with accessory after the fact.

If convicted, Byerly, Clark and Adams each face up to 20 years in federal prison for the bank robbery charge, up to five years for the conspiracy charge, and a minimum of five years for the firearms charge. All four defendants face up to 10 years in federal prison for the accessory charge.

This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Newton County Sheriff’s Office and the U.S. Marshals Service and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher T. Tortorice.

It is important to note that an indictment should not be considered as evidence of guilt and that all persons charged with a crime are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.